MH370 Search Area: Bathymetry Flythrough of the Southern Indian Ocean

Geoscience Australia provided bathymetric data to support the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's underwater search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Bathymetry survey vessels used multibeam sonar to gather high-resolution data, revealing previously unknown seabed features in the southern Indian Ocean. The dataset is a computer-animated flythrough visualizing the seafloor terrain in the designated search area.

Use Cases

• Visualizing seafloor terrain for search mission planning based on high-resolution bathymetric data.
• Studying previously unmapped seabed features revealed by the multibeam sonar survey.
• Providing a geospatial reference for safe underwater vehicle navigation in the search area.

Strengths

• Data was gathered using detailed, high-resolution multibeam sonar technology.
• Revealed many seabed features for the first time in the search area.
• Dataset is hosted by the authoritative government agency Geoscience Australia.

Limitations

• No column, row, size, or license metadata is provided across any source.
• The dataset appears to be a single visualization video, not the underlying raw survey data.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2026-04-20 and 2026-03-07) suggest potential metadata inconsistency.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, supporting the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).

Collection Method

Data gathered by bathymetry survey vessels scanning the sea floor with multibeam sonar.

Time Range

Survey conducted before the underwater search for MH370, likely circa 2014 onward.

Freshness

Last updated date is listed as 2026-04-20 00:57:34.924811 on one platform entry.

Geography

Southern Indian Ocean, specifically the western margin of Western Australia and the MH370 search area.